Ensuring Seamless Luxury Retail Experiences During Peak Season

The Challenge: Testing at the Front Lines & Preventing Self-Inflicted Downtime 

The client’s team initially believed their existing testing regime was sufficient to ensure peak season readiness. As we explored their requirements, it became clear that additional front-end testing was essential to guarantee a seamless customer experience. We advised that they should broaden their scope, test coverage and ensure that all tests were run under real-world conditions.  

Traditionally, front-end testing is usually conducted in a controlled non-production environment to avoid any risk to live operations. However, as all seasoned digital professionals know, non-production environments are never exactly like production. To ensure absolutely no room for error, we recommended an unconventional approach: running the front-end tests directly on their production instance.  

Our Approach: Risk Mitigated, Confidence Delivered 

Testing on a production instance is not a decision taken lightly. It requires meticulous assessment and planning, robust safeguards, and most importantly, the trust of the client. We engaged in detailed discussions with key stakeholders, addressing their concerns and demonstrating how this approach could be implemented safely.  

We selected a reliable, modern, open-source tool that could be implemented in a rapid and cost-effective way. Our expert team assessed the ability of the systems to handle the additional load ahead of the testing and provided assurance that the systems could handle the test load. The testing was designed to simulate the peak load which was calculated based on an assessment of previous peak traffic levels plus some additional margin, it was not a stress test of the site.  

During the testing, the tools selected allowed controlled ramping of the user load and continuous monitoring of performance which enabled us to maintain complete control. We scaled the testing over multiple days which provided confidence to the client. Furthermore, the Level 1 Support team and Service Management teams were involved in monitoring production systems throughout each run.  

Concurrently, we ran the same back-end load tests that were run in previous years. These confirmed that the infrastructure’s baseline performance remained strong, giving both us and the client an additional layer of assurance. 

Benefits Realisation: Invaluable Insights Gained 

Our approach enabled the client to realise the following benefits.

• Real user simulation: The framework allowed for accurate performance testing by simulating real user interactions in browsers, providing insights into how users experience the application. 
• Performance metrics tracking: The framework captured essential metrics, including average response time, peak response time, and error rate. These metrics are crucial for gaining insights into perceived load times and overall application performance. 
• Scalability: Utilising AWS Fargate enabled the framework to scale effortlessly, launching thousands of headless browser instances without infrastructure overhead. 
• Comprehensive testing: The client was able to validate both functional and performance aspects of its applications, ensuring that they met both operational and user experience requirements. 
• Enhanced debugging: The debugging process was enhanced via the recording of detailed information during test execution. When a test failed, the trace captures screenshots, network requests, and console logs, allowing developers to analyse the sequence of events leading to the failure. 

Alongside this, our Service Leads, working with the client, struck a balance of careful and well-orchestrated change over the critical periods. Allowing for change where needed at the same time ensuring no risk to service.  

The Results: Peak Season, Perfect Performance 

The front-end testing uncovered multiple defects, all of which were resolved before the peak trading season began. These fixes, combined with the insights gained from the testing, allowed our client to understand how its website’s front end performed under heavy loads. This new clarity not only strengthened the client’s technical readiness but also provided actionable data to optimise user journeys and improve performance further. 

When the peak trading season arrived, the website performed flawlessly. There were no defects, no incidents, and no disruptions to the luxury shopping experience. In comparison to previous years this was a phenomenal result, as recent years have seen significant numbers of incidents over the peak season which impacted the business negatively. This year’s customers could browse, select, and purchase with ease, reinforcing the brand’s reputation for excellence and ensuring that sales opportunities were maximised for the company.

The benefits then continued into the new year. As the change freeze came to an end, and the client entered the defrost, there were no new defects encountered following new code being released to production. This was testament to the improvements in the testing processes that had been implemented. This has showed the client that its trust has been repaid with both short-term wins and longer-term benefits. 

Client Feedback: A Trusted Partnership 

The client’s Website Development team was particularly impressed by the depth of insights gained through the testing process. And when the success of the peak season was presented to the CTO showing an incredible reduction from 10’s of major incidents a few seasons ago to zero in the last, he was so impressed he immediately shared it with the executive team.  

For us, this wasn’t just about delivering a technical solution; it was about enabling a brand to live up to its promise of unparalleled quality. By challenging the norms and working collaboratively, we helped ensure a peak trading season that was as luxurious online as their products are in-store. 

Looking Ahead 

This success showcases how targeted and innovative testing can deliver extraordinary results, even using unconventional methods. If your business is preparing for its next big moment, let’s explore how we can help you achieve a flawless performance when it matters most. Together, we’ll turn challenges into opportunities and deliver success that lasts, click here to find out how to get in touch.